Sorry to bring her up again, folks, but headlines about a new study prompt a little discussion. Or perhaps a little rant. Because yes, one more study has come out to prove once and for all that pretty women aren’t seen as competent in the workplace. Yes, one more study that overlooks factors like being a moron, or a yahoo, or not being qualified for a job, and blames a woman’s failure on, yup, her sex appeal. Attractive = You can’t succeed. Got that, ladies?This kind of discourse irks for a few reasons-the most obvious of which is that it does nothing but encourage the focus we can’t seem to resist placing on women’s looks, no matter how accomplished and powerful she happens to be. Further, studies like this are self-fulfilling. When you’re asking people to, in one breath, rate a woman’s attractiveness, then rate your impression of her as a person, you’re setting up a correlation from jump. And the result, of course, is the reinforcement of this idea that to be successful, women need to meet a certain baseline level of attractiveness, and yet they better not dare exceed it.Women in business-hell, in the workplace in general-are constantly negotiating the fine line between being appealing and nonthreatening, and being smart or type-A enough to be taken seriously. It’s archaic thinking, and while it still holds true to an extent-I’m absolutely certain of that, and concede we have a shamefully long way to go when it comes to certain things-studies like this get us squarely nowhere.What would get us somewhere? We can start by changing the way we talk about these things. And as a note to sociologists and psychologists everywhere: The next time you get a pile research grant money, or your university asks you to add something meaningful to a national discourse, maybe you can ask better questions.(The actual study costs a bunch of money, but it’s summarized rather thoroughly here.)
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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Goodbye, knee pain. In a medical first, scientists have found a way to regrow damaged cartilage.
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